Chicken coop



I Feb. 7, 1961 Filed March 9, 1959 O. F CARPENTER CHICKEN 000? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 0, Z llqg m zg BY zzm- 64m ATTORNEYS Feb. 7, 1961 o. F. CARPENTER CHICKEN COOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1959 Q &

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United States Patent CHICKEN COOP Ose F. Carpenter, Brightwood, Va.

Filed Mar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 798,047

1 Claim. (Cl. 217-57) The present invention relates to a chicken coop and particularly to a chicken coop which will securely hold chicken while preventing injury to the chicken during removal from the coop.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a chicken coop having a latched access door with the latch, the access door and the top in which the access door is mounted constructed to prevent injury to chickens during placement and removal from the coop through the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide an access door latching structure in which the latch is mounted on the door and moves out of the doorway with the door as the door is moved to open position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chicken coop of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use and completely effective in maintaining chickens in a safe condition while preventing injury thereto during the normal loading and unloading operation of the coop.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, with parts broken away for convenience of illustration;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section taken along the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, with parts broken away for convenience of illustration;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken along the line 55 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the keeper prior to its installation;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the latch member shown installed in the door; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 4 of a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a chicken coop constructed in accordance with the invention.

The chicken coop 10 includes a conventional bottom framework and bottom panel (not shown), a plurality of upstanding spaced apart parallel rods 11 mounted in the bottom framework and extending upwardly therefrom, and an upper panel construction generally indicated at 12.

Referring now particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that the upper panel 21 includes a pair of spaced apart parallel longitudinal frame members 13, 14 joined at ice their opposite ends by spaced apart parallel transverse frame members 15, 16. The longitudinal frame members 13, 14 and the transverse frame members 15, 16 form a plurality of rectangular corners 17 and are secured together by vertically extending pins 18 arranged parallel to the rods 11.

A second pair of longitudinal frame members 19, 20 extend in inwardly spaced parallel relation to the frame members 13, 14 respectively. The longitudinal frame members 19, 20 are secured to the transverse frame mem bers 15, 16 by means of vertical pins 21 arranged parallel to the rods 11. A plurality of spaced apart parallel rods 22 have their opposite ends mounted in the longitudinal frame members 13, 14 and are arranged parallel to the transverse frame members 15, 16. The rods 22 extend through the frame members 19, 20 intermediate the frame members 13, 14. The rods 22 are divided into relatively equal groups with one. group being adjacent each of the transverse frame members 15, 16.

A plurality of somewhat shorter spaced parallel rods 23 extend between the frame members 13, 19 and the frame members 14, 20 in spaced parallel relation to each other and to the rods 22. The shorter rods 23 are arranged between the groups of rods 22 at opposite ends of the top structure 12.

An elongated rod 24 has its opposite ends supported in the frame members 13, 14 and extends through the frame members 19, 20 parallel to the rods 22 between one group of rods 22 and the relative short rods 23. A rod 25 is arranged in spaced parallel relation to the rods 22 and has its opposite ends supported in the frame members 13, 14 extending through the frame members 19, 20. The rod 25 is arranged in spaced relation to the rod 24 between the second group of rods 22 and the relatively short rods 23. The frame members 19, 20 between the rods 24, 25 and with the rods 24, 25 define a door opening, indicated generally at 26, to permit access to the coop 10.

A relatively short tie bar 27 is positioned between and parallel to the frame members 19, 20 adjacent the transverse frame member 15. The rods 22 and the rod 25 extend through the tie bar 27, as is seen in Figure 1. A second relatively short tie bar 28 is arranged in aligned relation to the tie bar 27 intermediate the frame members 19, 20 adjacent the transverse frame member 16. The tie bar 28 is also arranged with a plurality of the rods 22 extending therethrough. The tie bar 27 terminates at the access opening 26 and has the end 29 thereof rounded to prevent injury to chickens being passed through the access opening 26 into the coop 10.

The frame members '19, 20 have the edges thereof adjacent the access opening 26 rounded at 30.

A door, generally indicated at 31, is positioned between the frame members 19, 20 and the rods 24, 25 to close the access opening 26. The door 31 includes a pair of spaced apart parallel frames 32, 33 having the respective adjacent ends 34, 35 thereof pivotally mounted on the rod 24. The frames 32, 33 have the respective opposite ends 36, 37 thereof rabbeted transversely on their underside to engage the rod 25, as clearly seen in Figure 5. A plurality of spaced apart parallel rods 38 extend transversely of the door 31 and have their opposite ends anchored to the frames 32, 33. A latch rod 39 is arranged parallel to the rod 38 adjacent the ends 36, 37 of the frames 32, 33 and is somewhat longer than the rods 38 extending completely through the frame 32, as can be seen in Figure 4. The latch rod 39 has an upwardly and outwardly tapered end portion 40 formed thereon beyond the frame 32, for reasons to be assigned. The frame member 19 is provided with a transversely extending bore 41 arranged in aligned relation to the latch rod 39, supporting one end of a rod 42 arranged parallel to the relatively short rods 23. The rod 42 terminates within the bore 41 short of the end 411 of the latch rod 39. A metal keeper bar, indicated generally at 43, in Figure 6, includes an elongated relatively flat portion. 44 arranged to engage in the bore 41 with an end portion wedgingly engaged by an end portion ofth'e rod 42 and an upwardly and outwardly sloping cam face 45 inte'grally formed on the inner end thereof. The keeper bar 43 has an outwardly and downwardly oifset flange 46 formed on its outer end to be driven into the frame member 19 to secure the keeper bar 43 in the bore 41, as shown in Figure 4. v

' The door 31 is transversely slidable on the rod 24 and a coil spring 47 normally urges the door 31 toward the frame member 19 so that the tapered end 40 of the latch rod 39 normally engages in the bore 41 against the keeper bar 43 when the door 31 is in its closed position. To close the door 31 downward pressure is applied so that the cam surface 45 and the tapered end 40 react to move the door transversely against the pressure of the spring 47 until the latch rod 39 is aligned with the bore 41, whereupon the spring 47 will move the door 31 transversely so that the tapered end 40 of the latch rod 39 engages in the bore 41 in the position shown in Figure 4.

The ends 34, 35 of 'the frames 32, 33 are rounded and the frames 32, 33 are rounded at 48 to prevent injury to the chickens. The keeper bar 43 and the rod 42 are inserted in the bore from opposite ends thereof and overlap at 49, as seen in Figure 4, to assist in locking the keeper bar 43 within the bore 41. With a rounded corner 30 in frame member 19, the keeper bar 43 must be sloped at 45 to contact the surface of the frame member 19; The overlapping ends of the straight part 44 of the bar 43 and the rod 42 serve to interlock the rod 42 and bar 43 in position in the bore 41.

In Figure 8 a modified form of the invention isillustrated wherein the door 31 is provided with a latch rod 39a similar to the latch rod 39 but having a substantially shorter end 40a extending into the bore 41 in contact with the keeper bar 43. In this form of. the invention the door 31 can be opened and closed with substantially less lateral movement thereof and can be unlatched by merely pulling against the door in an unlatching direction.

In the operation of conventional chicken coop structures, a latch pin normally protrudes into the access opening and the frame members and door edges adjacent the access opening have relatively sharp corners which have a tendency to bruise both the hands of the operator, as well as bruising the poultry while placing them in the coop, and removing them therefrom. bviously, the bruising of the poultry materially reduces its re-sale value while the injuries to the operator increases the'costs of operation due to loss of time from work and medical expenses.

With the present invention, the sharp edges are eliminated and the protruding latch has also been eliminated from the access opening, providing an unobstructed smoothly framed access opening through which poultry can be moved without injury.

i 7 Prior to this invention it was a common thing to find coops in fair condition but being discarded because the door or the latch, the keeper or the hinge rod was broken and it could not be used without a door. From this we can see the importance of having a latch and keeper practically indestructable from ordinary wear or use.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a chicken coop a top panel comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel longitudinal frame members, a pair of spaced apart parallel transverse frame members extending between the opposite ends of said longitudinal frame members, a second pair of spaced apart parallel longitudinal frame members spaced inwardly of and parallel to said first pair of longitudinal frame members, a

plurality of spaced parallel rods supported in said frame members, said rods being arranged in a pair of-spaced apart groups with each group arranged adjacent to and parallel a respective one of said transverse frame members, said second pair of longitudinal frame members and the innermost of said plurality of rods delineating a generally rectangular access opening in said top panel, the edges of said second pair of longitudinal frame members adjacent the access opening being rounded to prevent bruising of poultry moved through said access opening, a door, means pivoting said door on said longitudinal frame members, said last named means mounting said door for limited transverse sliding movement, a bar extending between the centers of said rods in each group of rods with said bars being arranged in axial alignment intermediate and parallel to said second pair of frame members with the bar at the end of said top panel opposite the pivotal end of said door having the inner end thereof rounded adjacent the access opening, resilient means normally urging said door toward one of said second pair of longitudinal frame members, there being a bore in said one of said second pair of longitudinal frame members, one of said parallel rods disposed adjacent to and having an end portion extending into said bore, a metallic keeper embodying an elongated flat bar, an upwardly and outwardly sloping cam portion integrally formed on one end of said bar, a downwardly offset flange integrally formed on the end of said cam portion piercingly engaging the adjacent supporting frame member, the other end of said bar-being wedgingly engaged in said bore by said parallel rod end portion, and a rigid latch rod mounted on said door for cooperative engagement with said keeper for securing said door in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,789,066 Chadwick et a1. Jan. 13, 1931 1,834,442 Aylor Dec. 1, 1931 2,863,691 Carpenter Dec. 9, 1958 

